1. Autism and Anxiety High levels of anxiety – as norm
Increased anxiety states for specific reasons
Global levels of high anxiety due to environmental factors
Possible as high as 90% of individuals have a recognisable anxiety disorder

2. Secondary Psychiatric Disorders
Not a primary mental illness
Result of environmental factors
High level in people with Autism compared to peer groups
Better support should lead to a better prognosis and reduction in secondary conditions

3. Specific Reasons for Anxiety
As a result of specific neurological differences in Autism:
learning processes
communication
social interaction
Theory of Mind
Executive Functioning
emotional recognition
Sensory processing
Central Coherence
obsessions

4. Direct learning vs Indirect learning
Learning Processes
Direct learning vs Indirect learning
Examples of indirect learning / development:
Theory of Mind
Social skills
Social cues
Non verbal communication

5. Verbal Communication Accurate interpretation
Metaphor / sarcasm / irony
Need for accuracy / lack of tautology
Echolalia / palilalia / delayed echolalia
Delayed processing
Meaning transferability
Expressive vs receptive skills

6. Non Verbal Communication
Prosody
Facial expression
Body posture
Inference
Contextual information

7. Social Skills Recognising the ‘unwritten rules’ Assessing situations
Reacting appropriately to the PNT social circumstance
Adapting social skills to the PNT situation

8. Social Cues Conversational turn taking Following the leads of others
Understanding ‘friendships’
Group settings
Sharing
Participating in game scenarios

9. Theory of Mind Alexithymia Mentalising abilities Empathy Trust
Appearance of rudeness

10. Executive Functioning
Planning
Impulse control
Sequencing
Scripting

11. Central Coherence Identifying the pattern or underlying rules
Attention to detail
Knowing what is relevant and redundant
Recognising the 'big picture' 1

12. Can be socially inappropriate
OBSESSIONS
Can be socially inappropriate
Need boundaries around obsessive behaviour
Must recognise that obsessive behaviours can be used as coping mechanisms
Obsessions may be misinterpreted 4

13. Sensory Differences
Neuro-physiological differences in filtering processes
Can have major impact on behaviour
Environmental aspects can influence 1

14. Global Reasons Resistance to Change Environmental factors Trust
Sense of self/diagnosis
Physical

15. Hypothesis - resistance to change
Individuals with Autism have significantly lower ‘stability rates’ in their day to day lives than the neurotypical
This may lead, in part, to an explanation of
‘resistance to change’

16. Stability Dependent on: Communication Understanding other people
Social awareness
Predictability
Fulfilled expectations
Shared sensory environment
Stability

18. Bullying Individuals with Autism are highly vulnerable: don't 'fit in'
will not necessarily follow traditional social convention (fashion, etc.)
problems with adhering to social rules within society (classroom, playtime, employment, social arenas, etc.)
communication problems
poor PNT ToM

19. EDUCATION PROBLEMS INCLUDE Cognition can hide core defects Peer group
Lack of understanding from staff
Transference of problems (home to school/work/service and vice-versa)
Academia takes preference over social and emotional development. Can lead to...
Isolation
Poor self-esteem
Poor motivation
Depression
Unrealised potential 4

20. Ethics, Morality, and Normalisation
It is essential that individuals with Autism are treated with respect for their way of thinking and behaving, and that ‘normal’ value bases are not enforced upon them 1